Democrat Stacey Abrams Sits Out 2026 Georgia Governor Race After Two Losses

Former Democratic Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams announced she will not run for governor in 2026, ending speculation about a potential third bid for the office after back-to-back losses to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, as reported by  Fox News.

Abrams, a former Democratic leader in the Georgia state legislature and a nationally known voting-rights advocate, said she will instead focus her efforts on what she described as opposing what she views as a national shift toward authoritarianism under President Donald Trump.

“Americans are in pain, but they are ready to act, and now is the moment to reconnect to what is at stake and what is possible,” Abrams said in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“It’s clear to me that the most effective way I can serve right now is by continuing to do this important work. For that reason, I will not seek elected office in 2026.”

Abrams first rose to national prominence during the 2018 Georgia governor’s race, where she narrowly lost to Kemp by a razor-thin margin.

The contest drew widespread attention as Abrams sought to become the nation’s first Black female elected governor. After the loss, she declined to concede, a move that elevated her standing among many Democrats while making her a frequent target of Republican criticism.

She challenged Kemp again in 2022, mounting a heavily funded rematch campaign. Despite raising more than $110 million, Abrams was defeated by nearly eight percentage points.

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Sources confirmed to Fox News Digital last spring that Abrams had considered another run in 2026, as Kemp is term-limited and cannot seek re-election.

However, her political influence has waned in recent years, and other Democratic contenders entered the race while she deliberated.

Following her 2018 defeat, Abrams launched the Fair Fight political organization and played a role in Democratic efforts in Georgia.

She helped President Joe Biden narrowly carry the state in the 2020 presidential election and supported Democratic victories in the Jan. 5, 2021, Senate runoff elections.

But parts of Abrams’ political network have since faced setbacks. The New Georgia Project, which Abrams founded, folded last year after being fined $300,000 for illegally backing her 2018 campaign.

As Abrams steps aside, the Democratic field for governor is already taking shape.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who served as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement during former President Joe Biden’s administration, is widely viewed as the Democratic front-runner.

Also seeking the Democratic nomination is former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who was elected in 2018 as a Republican but declined to run for re-election in 2022 and has since aligned with moderate Democrats. Former state Rep. Ruwa Romman and former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond are also running.

On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has secured the backing of President Donald Trump. The GOP field also includes Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

In her statement, Abrams said she will continue focusing on broader political advocacy rather than seeking office.

“The antidote to authoritarianism and its harms has always been democracy; and I have long believed that democracy requires active engagement and staunch defenders,” she wrote.

“But democracy is experienced by the vast majority through the work of government — when it fails, we are all imperiled.”

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